1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates particularly to solid propellant rocket motors but has utility in any flow system experiencing undesired flow oscillations.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Baffles or resonance suppressors in rigid form have been widely applied to reduce and/or eliminate flow oscillations. Rigid baffles are useful where the field of flow remains substantially constant, as in automobile mufflers. Where the field of flow changes, however, as for example, in the bore of a solid propellant rocket motor due to propellant deflagration, the application of rigid baffles is limited. This is because the size of a rigid baffle is fixed while the size of the bore in the solid propellant, and hence, that of the oscillating flow field, increases as the propellant is consumed. As a result, the baffle becomes less and less effective. Since the volume fraction, that is, the initial volume of the propellant divided by the volume of the motor, of a well designed solid propellant rocket motor is near unity, the problem of reducing and/or eliminating flow oscillations over the range of flow field variation in such motors has defied solution in the prior art.
Thus, there exists a need and a demand for improvement in baffles as applied to solid propellant rocket motors and other flow systems where the flow field does not remain constant but is of increasing size. The present invention was devised to fill the technological gap that has existed in this respect.